Chris Matthews: Voters Want a 'Fighter for Jobs'

The book tour of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may have boosted her appeal with people who read, but those who will decide the president in 2016 are people who probably don't even "have books in their house," said talk show host Chris Matthews.

The main issue that would sway voters would be the candidate who placed an emphasis on jobs, Matthews told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Tuesday. Though Clinton has not announced she is seeking the presidency, he said the recent promotional tour for her book "Hard Choices" was "not the way to get the regular people."

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"People want a fighter for jobs, not about the ethereal stuff, but jobs," the MSNBC "Hardball" host said. "The person who's going to decide the election probably doesn't have books in their house. They may not have newspapers. But, they have a vote. That's the person you have to go for."

People want a "really good, better job than they have," Matthews said. If Clinton could promise "infrastructure, investment in America, [and to] get the country moving again," he said she would be giving people what they were looking for in a candidate.

Matthews said the key for Clinton would be to "put together a first-rate Democratic campaign" that spoke to voters. He said jobs and boosting the economy were "the basics [Democrats] grew up with."

"If she's out for those bread and butter Democrats, and comes off as somebody who really connects with them, she will win. She will win not just the Democratic party nomination. She'll win the election," he said.

Democrats needed to appeal to young males under 25, who Matthews said were leaving the party. He said Clinton could entice them back if she could display a "cowgirl toughness about jobs."